Anti illegal logging

VPAS HOW ARE TACKLING ILLEGAL LOGGING Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAS) are a key component of the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan to address illegal logging A VPA is a bilateral trade agreement negotiated between the EU and a timber-exporting country outside the EU. While parties enter into a VPA voluntarily, the agreement becomes legally binding when both parties have ratified it. .... The first VPA negotiations began in 2003. Six countries have signed a VPA with the EU, and nine others are in negotiations. VPAS have made it possible to deal with underlying governance problems, expose and begin to correct unjust laws, and strengthen recognition for community rights in forests. Without these steps it will not be possible to tackle illegal logging in the long run. FLEGT VPAS 90% proportion (by value) of all internationally traded tropical timber and timber products derived' from countries implementing or negotiating a VPA. 80% proportion of tropical timber trade with EU that comes from countries implementing or negotiating a VPA". DO Central African Republic Cameroon of forest covered by a VPA currently being negotiated or implemented . That's the same land area as the entire European Union. Republic of the Congo 4.4 million: km² Liberia Honduras Côte d'Ivoire Ghana Gabon Indonesia DR Congo 10 countries where VPA processes have kick-started or accelerated significant legal reforms" 20 20 20 50 600 million reported cost of implementing the FLEGT programme so far (in euros), across all countries. That's the same amount as France recently pledged to prop up the ailing domestic beef and pork industry in just one country". 15 billion revenue that governments lose each year because of illegal logging, in US Dollars In 2016 the European Commission will respond to a major review of the FLEGT Action Plan, including VPAS. The EU must build on the success and scope of FLEGT VPAS, and reconfirm its commitment to tackling illegal logging through participatory processes that put good forest governance at the heart of the debate. References & Footnotes i. Calculations by Rupert Oliver, http://europa.eu/about-eu/facts-figures/living/index_en.htm ii. From Bernard Crabbe's speech at flegt week 2015 – need to find proper citation. ii. According to FAO forest statistics for countries currently implementing a VPA (forest cover as at 2012). iv. This data includes planted forests but excludes agricultural plantations and agroforestry plantations. iv. Cameroon, Liberia, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Honduras, Gabon. v. http://www.english.rfi.fr/economy/20150722-french-government-pledges-600-million-euros-aid-protesting-farmers fern MAKING THE EU WORK FOR PEOPLE & FORESTS